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Thursday 21 January 2021
Biden takes the helm as president: ‘Democracy has prevailed’

U.S. senator from California time we’re in now.” hand on a five-inch-thick
is also the first Black person Biden was eager to go big Bible that has been in his
and the first person of South early, with an ambitious first family for 128 years, Biden
Asian descent elected to 100 days including a push came to office with a well
the vice presidency and to speed up the distribution of empathy and resolve
the highest-ranking wom- of COVID-19 vaccinations born by personal tragedy
an ever to serve in the U.S. to anxious Americans and as well as a depth of expe-
government. pass a $1.9 trillion econom- rience forged from more
Biden never mentioned ic relief package. On Day than four decades in Wash-
his predecessor, who de- One, as part of a push to ington. At age 78, he is the
fied tradition and left town roll back Trump administra- oldest president inaugu-
ahead of the ceremony, tion initiatives, he signed a rated. Both he, Harris and
but his speech was an im- series of executive actions, their spouses walked the
plicit rebuke of Donald including to re-enter the last short part of the route
Trump. The new president Paris Climate Accords and to the White House after an
President Joe Biden waits to sign his first executive order in the denounced “lies told for to mandate mask wearing abridged parade. Biden
Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in power and for profit” and on federal property. then strode into the Oval
Washington. was blunt about the chal- “There’s no time to start like Office, a room he knew
Associated Press lenges ahead. today,” Biden said as he well as vice president, for
Central among them: signed the actions in the the first time as command-
Continued from Front “The will of the people has the surging virus that has Oval Office. er in chief.
been heard, and the will claimed more than 400,000 The absence of Biden’s Earlier, the two were sworn
On a cold Washington of the people has been lives in the United States, predecessor from the in- in during an inauguration
morning dotted with snow heeded. We’ve learned as well as economic strains augural ceremony under- ceremony with few paral-
flurries, the quadrennial again that democracy is and a national reckoning scored the national rift to lels. Biden, like all those in
ceremony unfolded within precious and democracy over race. be healed. attendance, wore a face
a circle of security forces is fragile. At this hour, my “We have much to do in But a bipartisan trio of for- mask except when speak-
evocative of a war zone friends, democracy has this winter of peril, and sig- mer presidents — Bill Clin- ing. And tens of thousands
and devoid of crowds be- prevailed,” Biden said. “This nificant possibilities. Much ton, George W. Bush and of National Guard troops
cause of the coronavirus is America’s day. This is de- to repair, much to restore, Barack Obama — were were on the streets to pro-
pandemic. mocracy’s day. A day in much to heal, much to there to witness the cer- vide security precisely two
Instead, Biden gazed out history and hope, of renew- build and much to gain,” emonial transfer of power. weeks after a violent mob
over 200,000 American al and resolve.” Biden said. “Few people Trump, awaiting his second of Trump supporters, incit-
flags planted on the Na- History was made at his in our nation’s history have impeachment trial, was at ed by the Republican pres-
tional Mall to symbolize side, as Kamala Harris be- been more challenged, or his Florida resort by the time ident, stormed the Capitol
those who could not at- came the first woman to be found a time more chal- the swearing-in took place. in an attempt to prevent
tend in person. vice president. The former lenging or difficult than the Biden, in his third run for the the certification of Biden’s
presidency, staked his can- victory. “Here we stand,
didacy less on any distinc- just days after a riotous
tive political ideology than mob thought they could
on galvanizing a broad co- use violence to silence the
alition of voters around the will of the people,” Biden
notion that Trump posed an said. “To stop the work of
existential threat to Ameri- our democracy. To drive us
can democracy. Four years from this sacred ground. It
after Trump’s “American did not happen. It will nev-
Carnage” speech painted er happen. Not today, not
a dark portrait of national tomorrow. Not ever. Not
decay, Biden warned that ever.”
the fabric of the nation’s The tense atmosphere
democracy was tearing evoked the 1861 inaugu-
but expressed faith that it ration of Abraham Lincoln,
could be repaired. who was secretly transport-
“I know the forces that di- ed to Washington to avoid
vide us are deep and they assassins on the eve of the
are real. But I also know Civil War, or Franklin Roos-
they are not new. Our his- evelt’s inaugural in 1945,
tory has been a constant when he opted for a small,
struggle between the secure ceremony at the
American ideal that we White House in the waning
are all created equal and months of World War II.
the harsh, ugly reality that But Washington, all but de-
racism, nativism, fear, de- serted downtown and in its
monization have long torn federal areas, was quiet.
us apart,” Biden said. “This And calm also prevailed
is our historic moment of outside heavily fortified
crisis and challenge, and state Capitol buildings
unity is the path forward across nation after the FBI
and we must meet this mo- had warned of the pos-
ment as the United States sibility for armed demon-
of America.” strations leading up to the
Swearing the oath with his inauguration. q